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MUNICIPALITIES AWARDED WITH GOLDEN KEYS AND CLOSED LOCKS
[04:35 pm] 28 September, 2007

The OSCE Office in Yerevan and the Freedom of Information (FOI) Centre
handed out this year’s Freedom of Information awards, aimed at
encouraging measures that give the public improved access to state
information.

The winners received their awards in a ceremony in Yerevan that
coincided with the International Right to Know Day.

The prizes, golden keys and closed locks respectively symbolize
publicity and secrecy.

`Ensuring unimpeded public access to information and respecting the
individual’s right to know is one of the OSCE commitments and our
Office stands ready to assist Armenia in implementing it,’ said Marc
Bojanic, Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan at the ceremony.

Charentsavan and Yerevan municipalities were recognized as the most
transparent state institutions with good information delivery systems.

`This prize is a reward for last year’s establishment of a new
electronic document management system, also known as a `one-window’
approach, which makes it easier for citizens to receive information
from us,’ said Grigor Melkumyan, Head of Staff at Yerevan
Municipality.

The Asparez Press Club in Gyumri and journalist Angela Stepanyan of
ALT TV in Armavir also won awards for their extensive use of their
right of access to information.

The Armavir Municipality was deemed to have the poorest record of
providing information.

An independent jury composed of nine local NGO members, journalists
and experts selected the winners, based on the results of the
monitoring conducted by FOI centre throughout 2007 and on their own
experience.

`Since its inception in 2002, the Freedom of Information Annual Award
has encouraged state institutions to serve as positive examples in
being transparent and open for the public,’ added Shushan Doydoyan,
Head of the FOI Centre.

The OSCE Office also assists Armenia in improving public access to
information by organizing training courses for civil servants,
journalists, state press officers and the general public.

The Freedom of Information Annual Awards were initiated by the FOI
Centre with support from the OSCE Office in Yerevan.